How to pronounce numbers in english

Expressing Numbers in English

Expressing numbers in English can be confusing to both students and those listening. Make sure you understand how to express numbers in spoken English by following these rules.

Below you will find numbers written out in order to help students learn the correct grouping in English. Generally speaking, numbers larger than nine should always be expressed by numbers in written English, while numbers under 10 should be written out:

How to Say Numbers from One to 100

Say individual numbers between one and twenty. After that, use the tens (twenty, thirty, etc.) followed by the numbers one through nine:

When expressing large numbers (more than one hundred), read in groups of hundreds. The order is as follows: billion, million, thousand, hundred. Notice that hundred, thousand, etc. is NOT followed by an «s:»

How to Say Numbers in the Hundreds

Say numbers in the hundreds by beginning with numerals one through nine followed by «hundred». Finish by saying the last two digits:

NOTE: British English takes «and» following «hundred.» American English omits «and:»

How to Say Numbers in the Thousands

The next group is the thousands. Say a number up to 999 followed by «thousand.» Finish by reading the hundreds when applicable:

How to Say Numbers in the Millions

For millions, say a number up to 999 followed by «million.» Finish by saying first the thousands and then the hundreds when applicable:

For even larger numbers, first use billions and then trillions in a similar manner to millions:

Large numbers are often rounded to the next biggest or next smallest number to make things easier. For example, 345,987,650 is rounded to 350,000,000.

How to Say Numbers With Decimals

Speak decimals as the number followed by «point.» Next, say each number beyond the point individually:

How to Say Percentages

Say percentages as the number followed by «percent:»

How to Talk About Fractions

Say the top number as a cardinal number, followed by the ordinal number + «s:»

Exceptions to this rule are:

Read numbers together with fractions by first stating the number followed by «and» and then the fraction:

Important Numerical Expressions

Here is how to say a number of important numerical expressions in English.

​Talking About Money

If the amount includes cents, express the dollar amount first, followed by the cents:

Native speakers often just say the dollar number and then the cents number and drop «dollars» and «cents»

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are used when speaking about the day of the month, or a position in a group. Most numbers end in ‘th’, except «first», «second», and «third» of every ten numbers:

A big guide to English numbers: Writing, spelling, ordinal and more

When we start learning a language, we’re first introduced to its fundamentals: the alphabet, some basic vocabulary, and numbers.

And while our primary goal is to communicate in the language we’re learning, we tend to focus on learning tons of new words and mastering the grammar. Yet, we often leave the numbers forgotten somewhere in the depths of our memory.

However, numbers are an essential part of our everyday life. Knowing them enables you to tell the time, buy groceries, and talk about historical events.

So, in this article, we’ll stop delaying the inevitable and learn how to count to 1000 in the English language. Plus, we’ll cover the English numbers spelling, the pronunciation, and the different ways to use those numbers, from fractions to percentages and decimals.

Ready? Steady? Go!

Why learn English numbers?

Can you imagine a society that functions without numbers? We certainly can’t. Numbers are everywhere and are connected to everything we do.

Numbers are a part of everything from telling the time, buying groceries to distance, dates, and general conversation. They’re part of science, technology, and thus humanity and life. Let’s look at some of the main reasons why you should learn all about numerals.

Understanding dates and time

Knowing numbers is essential when scheduling business meetings, going out with friends or catching a plane. If you don’t know them, you might easily get confused when it comes to the dates and times of your business meetings, train departures, or your friend’s birthday party.

You certainly don’t want to miss any of these important events simply because you didn’t study the numbers!

Understanding prices

If you don’t know the cost of what you’re buying, you can easily spend more money than you intended. Although you can see the price of every item in the supermarket, you need to ask for it in some places.

Knowing English numerals will help you understand the prices while shopping in local markets, second-hand shops, or negotiating the cost of the product or service you want to purchase.

Understanding phone numbers

Phones are an intrinsic part of our everyday life, and so are phone numbers. We need them to make new friends, ask that cute girl or guy out, make restaurant reservations, and call important organizations or departments. If you don’t understand English numbers, you’ll easily write down the wrong phone number. This can make you miss out on new friendships, fun dates, and complicate dealing with important matters.

Learn English numbers, spelling, and pronunciation

In order to count in English, you first need to learn the numbers from 1 to 20. Once you learn the spelling and pronunciation of these numbers, it’ll help you easily count to 1000. However, learning the first 20 numbers in any language is always the hardest.

Below, we’ll give you the spelling and phonetic pronunciation of each number. Pay attention to each sound, as later on, you’ll need to put them together to form higher numbers. So, let’s break it down!

Tones for numbers 1-10 are simple.

However, those for 11-20 are harder because they’re compound tones. It means that there are multiple sounds involved in pronouncing them. For example, to pronounce 11, you’ll say “ee-LEH-vihn.”

Check out the table below for more sounds.

When a number contains tens and ones, don’t pause between the two words. For example, the number 23 is pronounced as «twenty-three.»

How to put it all together

Let’s look at an example of a number such as four hundred fifty-five (455).

You pronounce 455 by joining four hundred (fohr-HUN-dК’rih[d]) + fifty (FIHF-dee) + five (faiv) = four hundred fifty-five (fohr-HUN-dК’rihd FIHF-dee-faiv).

Combining numbers in English may seem complex. However, once you understand the logic behind it, it becomes easier. For example, a number such as 999 is a combination of 900 + 90 + 9, so nine hundred (nain-HUN-dК’rih[d]) + ninety (nain-dee) + nine (NAIN).

Ordinal numbers in English

English has both cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers. Cardinal numbers describe quantity (one, two, three, etc.), and ordinal numbers describe position or rank in sequential order (first, second, third, etc.). More specifically, we use ordinal numbers when talking about order or placement in a sequence or series.

English ordinal numbers from 21 to 99 and beyond are formed by a cardinal number for the tens and an ordinal number for the ones.

So, for example, the ordinal number for twenty-five (25) is twenty-fifth (25th). You must use a hyphen.

So, how do we use English ordinal numbers in practice? Let’s take a look at a few examples:

How to say decimal numbers

The zero before the point can sometimes be omitted. So instead of saying “zero point zero three” (0.03), you can say “point zero three.”

So, how do we use decimal numbers in a sentence? Let’s see a few examples:

How do you read sums of money in different currencies?

In a sentence, it’d look like this:

Fractions in English

To form a fraction in English, write the numerator (the number on top of the fraction), followed by the denominator (the number on the bottom).

To pronounce English fractions, first, say the numerator as a cardinal number. Then, say the denominator as an ordinal number. For example:

If the numerator is more than one, the denominator will be pronounced like a plural ordinal number. For example, 2/3 = two thirds or 2/5 = two fifths.

Fractions are very useful in our everyday life. We use them to describe a part of something, for example,

Measurements in English

Measurements in English follow either a metric or an imperial system. For example, the US uses the imperial system and measures temperature in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius.

Here are some common measurements in English with their symbols:

Metric system:В

Imperial system:В

To pronounce measurements, use cardinal numbers. Take a look at the following table.

Let’s see how to use the English measurements in sentences:

Percentages in English

We use percentages to describe parts of a whole. For example, if we say that our pizza is 50% cheese, that means that half of the pizza is cheese. We also use percentages to compare one thing to another. For example, if we say that our pizza is 50% cheaper than the competition, we are comparing our price to the price of other pizzas.

So, how do you pronounce percentages? Just say the number and add the word “percent” after it! Take a look at the examples:

Here’s how to use percentages in real-life sentences:

English numbers songs

The following are different numbers songs that learners can use to learn how to count in English and remember all the numbers, great for both kids and adults (hey,В a catchy tune is a catchy tune!):

Number songs 1-10В

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive by Nursery Rhymes and Kids Songs

And if you want to go even further, 100, 500, even 1000?В You can use these songs to count up and down to as many bottles as you desireВ by switching the words, for example:

A thousand green bottles
Hanging on the wall
A thousand green bottles
Hanging on the wall
And if one green bottle
Should accidentally fall
There’ll be nine hundred ninety-nine green bottles
Hanging on the wall

FAQs for the English numbers

What is the origin of the English numbers?

The numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are called Arabic or Hindu-Arabic numerals since they were invented by mathematicians in 5th century India. They were called Arabic numerals by Europeans.

Before Europeans adopted the Arabic numerals around the 15th century, they used the Roman numerals.

I’m a beginner! What are some activities I can use to practice saying numbers in English?

Here are some fun ways to practice numbers in English:

What are the English numbers used for?

English numbers are mainly used to count people, money, and objects. They’re also used to tell the time, phone numbers, addresses, and dates.

Dial up the fun with these tips to learn English numbers

1. Get a calendar

Having a calendar in the house can be helpful as you can mark off the numerical dates of the month in English.

2. Play games

You can play Battleship, Scrabble, and crossword puzzles using numbers for example. Using an English pack of playing cards will train your brain to identify numbers more easily. Be creative! The world is your oyster.

3. Practice with flashcards

Flashcards are a fun way of testing yourself and improving your knowledge of new vocabulary – ideal for learning numbers in English!

Make sure each flashcard has one number on one side and the written number on the other side (for example, 5 = five). To use them, hold up a card, read the number out loud, try to say the word in English, then check if you’re correct by looking at the answer written on the opposite side of the card.

Final thoughts

Numbers are one of the basic building blocks of language, and they’re necessary in our everyday life, whether you’re buying groceries or waiting at a bank. Learning them is essential!

Ten to one, you’ll master English numbers in no time if you follow the tips provided in this guide and practice, practice, practice!

So what are you waiting for? Start counting!

Loved this article? Explore more English vocabulary fun on our English blog.

Numbers in English: The Ultimate Guide

This is the ultimate guide to saying (or reading out) numbers in English. Also check out Maths Vocabulary in English: Do You Know the Basics?

Today, you’re going to learn how to say different types of numbers in English.

We’ll look at how to say:

Big numbers in English

First, you try!

OK. Take a look at these sentences and see if you can say the numbers correctly.

Don’t move on to the next part until you’ve tried to say them. It’s like a test — but a fun one!

Was I right?

Well, let’s see if you were right.

120,000 = “one hundred and twenty thousand” or “a hundred and twenty thousand”
342,876,288 = “three hundred and forty-two million, eight hundred and seventy-six thousand, two hundred and eighty-eight” (phew!)
12,073 = “twelve thousand and seventy-three”

What are the rules here?

OK. There are four things you should think about here.

1. Break big numbers up into pieces!

See the commas between the numbers? (They’re full stops in most languages but not in English — because English likes to be different!)

Those commas show you how to break the number up. So just say the numbers between the commas and add “billion,” “million,” “thousand,” etc. afterwards:

Note: To avoid confusion between commas (,) and full stops (.) in big numbers, there’s an international standard. What’s the solution? Just uses spaces.

324,678,129 → 324 678 129

2. Don’t make “one hundred,” “one thousand,” etc., plural!

Just remember, when we’re saying a big number, the numbers are not pluralised:

So don’t say:
4,000 — “ four thousands ”

Say:
4,000 — “four thousand”

3. Say “and” after “hundred” (if you prefer British English)

Did you notice the “and”?

Basically, every time we say “hundred,” we say “and” next.

Remember — this doesn’t work if there are just zeros after the hundred:

But it’s worth remembering that most English speakers don’t add “and” — it’s usually just the Brits. So you can ignore this rule if you like.

4. “One hundred” or “a hundred” — it doesn’t really matter

With the following numbers, you have freedom of choice:

100 = “one hundred” or “a hundred”
1,000 = “one thousand” or “a thousand”
1,000,000 = “one million” or “a million”

Saying prices in English

First, you try!

OK. Look at these sentences. How do you say them?

Was I right?

$1.89 = “one dollar eighty-nine (cents)” or “one dollar and eighty-nine cents” or “one eighty-nine”
£200,000 = “two hundred thousand pounds” or “two hundred grand” or “two hundred K”
€0.99 = “ninety-nine cents”

What are the rules here?

There are two main rules at work here:

1. Word order of prices

In the first example ($1.89), did you notice how we said the first number first (1), then the currency ($), then the other number (89)?

That’s the order we use when we talk about prices:

Remember, we don’t have to say “cents” (or “pence” or “Kopek,” etc.). It’s clear from the context.

In fact, very often we don’t even say the currency. So you could just say:

2. Using “grand” or “K” instead of “thousand”

If you’re talking about big numbers all the time, it doesn’t make sense saying a long word like “thousand” again and again.

Fortunately, we can shorten “thousand” to either “grand” or “K.”

But remember, it only works when the number is exactly on the thousands:

Saying the time correctly

First, you try!

OK — can you say these times correctly?

Be careful here. I’ve written these all in 24-hour time, but we don’t say all of them in 24-hour time. Think about the context!

Was I right?

19:00 (in this situation) = “seven” or “seven p.m.” or maybe “seven o’clock”
17:43 (in this situation) = “seventeen forty-three”
15:00 (in this situation) = “fifteen hundred hours”
18:30 (in this situation) = “six thirty” or “half-past six” or “half six”
08:03 = “eight oh-three” or “three (minutes) past eight”

What are the rules here?

Most of the rules here are a bit different because they depend on context.

1. When speaking informally, don’t use 24-hour time

So when we’re hanging out with our friends (like in the first and fourth examples), we almost never use 24-hour time.

And when you do use 24-hour time, never use “o’clock” or “half past” or “5 to” or any of the normal “telling the time” stuff.

We just say the numbers.

That means we don’t say “nineteen o’clock.” Ever. Just never say it!

And we never, ever, ever say “half past twenty.”

Instead, we just use 12-hour time.

So don’t say “nineteen o’clock.” Instead, say “seven o’clock.” Thinking of saying “five past twenty”? Don’t! Say “five past eight” instead.

When I explain this to English learners, they often ask, “But how do you know whether it’s morning or evening?”

And my answer is always the same: If you like, you can say “p.m.” or “a.m.” to clarify. But how many people go to the cinema at 7 in the morning? Usually, the context is clear enough.

And then they say, “Thanks. Also, your hair is looking great today.”

2. 24-hour time for scheduled events (usually transport)

When we’re talking about a train or a plane or a bus leaving, we can use 24-hour time, and it doesn’t sound too weird, even when we’re talking to friends (like in the second example).

And we can certainly expect to hear it when it’s being announced at an airport or station (like in the third example).

3. There are three ways of saying “half past something”

… and none of them includes “o’clock.”

You can say “06:30” in three different ways:

But you can never, ever, ever say “it’s half past 6 o’clock.”

Remember, we only use “o’clock” when the time is on the hour (“two o’clock,” “four o’clock,” “one o’clock,” etc.) and no other situation!

4. Use “oh”

The last example above (3:03) is a little tricky. If you have to express a time like this, instead of saying “zero,” just say “oh.”

3:03 = “three oh-three”
1:08 = “one oh-eight”

Saying decimals in English

OK. You may be wondering what a “decimal” is.

Well, you’re about to find out!

First, you try!

First of all, let’s try saying these sentences:

Was I right?

OK, let’s check it!

45.665° = “forty-five point six six five degrees”
66.6666666666… = “sixty-six point six recurring”

What are the rules here?

There are three things to remember here:

1. Say “point” in decimal numbers

Simple rule, right? Just say “point” and not “dot” or “full stop.” Or “elephant.” Definitely don’t say “elephant.”

2. After “point,” say the numbers one by one

Mathematically speaking, the numbers after the point (665 in the example above) are not hundreds. So we don’t say “six hundred and sixty-five.”

After the point, we just say the numbers one by one (“six six five”).

3. When numbers repeat forever, just say “recurring”

Maths is weird, and I find it strange that stuff like this can happen with numbers.

But when you have the number 6 repeating itself forever, I’d recommend not saying the number again and again until you die of thirst or boredom and all your friends have left the room.

Just say it once and add “recurring.”

Sometimes, more than one number repeats itself over and over, like this: 12.131313131313 …

In this case, just say the pair of numbers that repeat themselves (in this case “one three”) and add “recurring.”

12.131313131313 … = “twelve point one three recurring”

First, Second, Third… (ordinal numbers)

First, you try!

You know what to do:

Was I right?

3rd = “third”
1st = “first”
256th = “two hundred and fifty-sixth”

What are the rules here?

There are a few very simple rules here.

1. Use “the” (or the possessive)

Because ordinal numbers are very specific (How many first places are there in a race?) we almost always use “the” before them.

Make it an automatic habit!

Here’s a quick tip, not just for ordinal numbers but generally in English:

You don’t have to use “the” if you have a possessive.

The third horse on the left is looking at me strangely.

But you can also say:

May I introduce you to my seventh wife?

2. Use “-th” for ordinal numbers after 1st, 2nd and 3rd

Generally speaking, to create an ordinal number, you just add “-th.” (Although sometimes the spelling can be tricky.) Click here for the full list of ordinal numbers.

It’s the same for small numbers:

This is the fifth computer he’s bought this year.

You’re the ninety-ninth person to ask me that today.

But be careful. If you’re making 1, 2 or 3 ordinal, remember that they’re completely different:

It’s the same for small numbers:

It’s the first Sunday of the month — and you know what that means!

It’s the fifty-second week of the year. Finally!

Saying Fractions in English

First, you try!

OK. You know the drill. How do you say these sentences?

Was I right?

1 ½ hours = “one and a half hours” or “an hour and a half”
2 ½ hours = “two and a half hours”
⅙ = “one-sixth” or “a sixth”
2⁄6 = “two-sixths”
⅓ = “one-third” or “a third”

What are the rules here?

1. Use an ordinal number on the bottom

Remember the ordinal numbers we talked about above?

We use them for fractions, too.

Let’s look at a simple fraction: ⅓

There are two numbers — “1” on the top and “3” on the bottom.

Simply say the number on the top normally — “one” — and the ordinal of the number on the bottom — “third.”

Then you have “one third.”

2. Make the bottom number plural if the top number is 2 or higher

Remember that if we’re dealing with a fraction that doesn’t have “1” on the top, the ordinal must be plural.

So let’s take another example fraction: ⅔

Take the number on the top as usual (“2”) and make the ordinal on the bottom plural, so “third” becomes “thirds” (because in this case, there are two of them).

⅔ = “two thirds”

3. Say “quarter” not “fourth” and “half” not “second”

When the bottom number is 2 or 4, we use “half/halves” and “quarter/quarters.”

Instead of saying ½ as “one second,” we say “one half” or “a half.”

And instead of saying ¼ as “one fourth,” we say “one quarter” or “a quarter.”

4. Get the order right with fractions!

The usual way to say these numbers is as you read them.

Let’s look at an example: 2 ½ hours

Say “two and a half” then “hours” (not “two hours and a half”).

Simple and direct, yeah?

4. With 1 ½, there’s an alternative!

Do you remember at the beginning of this post, we saw how we can choose between “one hundred” and “a hundred?”

Well, it’s the same with “1 ½ ” — you can use “one” or “a.” It’s up to you, but remember that the word order is different:

5. When we say 1 ½, the following noun becomes plural

Did you notice that in the example above, we said “one and a half hours,” not “one and a half hour”?

This is a rule in English that a lot of books don’t talk about much.

But here I am … talking about it!

I guess the logic is that if the number is anything more than one (including 1.000000001), it’s officially plural.

Talking about the temperature

First, you try!

OK. Can you say these correctly?

Was I right?

-40°C = “minus forty degrees Celsius/centigrade” or “negative forty degrees Celsius/centigrade” or “forty (degrees) below (zero)”
1°C = “one degree Celsius/centigrade” or “one (degree) above zero”
12°F = “twelve degrees Fahrenheit”

What are the rules here?

1. There are three ways of talking about temperatures below zero

So when it’s that cold and your hair is freezing, then it’s probably below zero, right?

Remember, you don’t need to say “Celsius” or “Fahrenheit” if it’s clear from the context.

In fact, you don’t even need to say “degrees” if it’s obvious you’re talking about the temperature.

Also remember: when you use the third option (with “below”), you don’t need to say “zero” or “degrees,” but only do this when it’s clear whether you’re discussing Celsius or Fahrenheit. And make sure that it’s clear that you’re talking about the temperature and not your downstairs neighbours.

2. Celsius or centigrade or Fahrenheit?

OK. This is pretty simple.

Celsius and centigrade are exactly the same. So don’t worry about mixing these ones up. Because it’s impossible!

“Fahrenheit” is the weird measurement that the Americans use that I just don’t understand.

To me, Celsius makes sense: 0°C is where water freezes and 100°C is where it boils.

I think the best way to think about Fahrenheit is that between 50°F and 100°F is the human comfort zone! (50°F is 10°C and 100°F is almost 40°C.)

Talking about space

Not the space with aliens and frightening amounts of radiation. And Sandra Bullock acting badly (as usual).

I mean the space of a room or a box or a cave.

First, you try!

Was I right?

30m 2 = “thirty metres squared” or “thirty square metres”
30cm 3 = “thirty centimeters cubed” or “thirty cubic centimeters”

What are the rules here?

1. There are two ways to say m 2

This is pretty simple. You have a choice here.

You can say “12 metres squared” (number + “metres” + “squared”).

Or you can go for “12 square metres” (number + “square” + “metres”).

2. There are two ways to say m 3

Again — it’s really straight-forward:

You can say “3 metres cubed” (number + “metres” + “cubed”).

Or you can say “3 cubic metres” (number + “cubic” + “metres”).

That’s it! Nothing else to see here. Please move on.

Talking about speed in English!

No, not the Sandra Bullock film. Please stop talking about Sandra Bullock.

First, you try!

OK. Remember to say these before reading on.

Was I right?

88 mph = “88 miles per hour” or “88 miles an hour”
45 km/h = “forty-five kilometres per hour” or “forty-five kilometres an hour”
300,000 km/s = “three hundred thousand kilometres per second” or “three hundred thousand kilometres a second”

What are the rules here?

1. “Per hour” or “an hour”?

When we’re talking about speed, we have a choice — we can say “per hour” or “an hour” (or “per second” or “a second”).

But which one to use?

My advice is that in most situations, use “an hour.”

“Per hour” sounds a little more technical and formal.

But the difference is small here, so I wouldn’t worry about this too much. There are better things to worry about. Like global warming.

2. The units are plural

It’s important to remember that the distances here are very likely to be plural (unless we’re talking about 1mph or 1km/sec).

So remember that it’s “88 miles per hour” not “mile per hour.”

Saying years in English

First, you try!

Was I right?

1666 = “sixteen sixty-six”
1905 = “nineteen oh-five”
1900 = “nineteen hundred”
2000 = “two thousand”
2003 = “two thousand and three”
2012 = “two thousand and twelve” or “twenty twelve”
2020 = “twenty twenty”

What are the rules here?

OK. There’s a lot here. But the good news? It’s all pretty simple.

1. Cut years into two

For almost all the years, we cut them into two — the first two numbers and the second two:

2. Remember “oh”

When the year ends with zero plus a number (e.g. 1903, 1109, 1601) just say “oh” instead of the zero (“nineteen oh-three,” “eleven oh-nine,” “sixteen oh-one”).

Remember, this only works for years after 1000 and not years beginning with 20 (e.g. 2009).

3. Use “hundred” or “thousand” when you see lots of zeros

If the year ends in double zero (e.g. 1400, 1100, 2100) just say “hundred” after the first numbers (“fourteen hundred,” “eleven hundred,” “twenty-one hundred”).

Remember, this doesn’t work for triple zero years (e.g. 1000, 2000, 3000). With these, we just say “thousand” (“one thousand,” “two thousand,” “three thousand”).

4. How to say 2001 – 2009

For some reason, when the year 2000 came, we decided to just forget all the rules we made for the years.

So we don’t say “twenty oh-one.” For 2001 to 2009, we say the full number (“two thousand and one,” “two thousand and two,” etc.)

But what about after that? What happens after 2010?

Apparently, no one can agree on this. So we hear people saying “twenty eleven” and other people saying “two thousand and eleven.” Those people have more energy.

“But that’s mad! Does this continue forever?” I can hear you asking.

The answer is “yes, it is mad” and “fortunately not.”

Because when we get back to 2020, we’re back to the old system again (“twenty twenty,” “twenty twenty-eight,” “twenty fifty-four,” etc.)

OK! You’ve made it to the end! Congratulations! You rule!

You are now a MASTER of saying numbers in English!

But you’ll need to do one more thing to really take in what you’ve learned today.

Look at these numbers — can you write them out in full?

Write your answers in the comments!

Did you find this useful? Do you know any people (or koalas) that might also benefit from this? Then BE AWESOME AND SHARE! Spread the knowledge!

50 thoughts on “ Numbers in English: The Ultimate Guide ”

This page is good

1. One hundred and eighty eight million, one hundred and ninety eight thousand, twenty three kilometers squared.
2. Fourteen dollars ninety nine (cents)
3. Three oh six (P.M.)
4. Thirteen point thirteen recurrent.
5. Four kilometers and a half.
6. Fifteen degrees below zero (Celsius, centigrade).
7. Forty-five miles per (an) hour.
8. Two thousand and one.

Great work Phil.

1. — This is perfect, especially for American English. If you want, you can also add “and” to that last bit (“..and twenty-three kilometers squared.”) But you don’t have to!
2. — Perfect!
3. — Yes!
4. — As far as I know (and I’ve had a good check on the internet), we don’t use “recurrent” in numbers like this. Use “recurring” instead.
5. — Sorry! Check again! (the section called “saying fractions in English.” Good luck!
6. — Awesome!
7. — Yeah, yeah yeah!
8. — Perfect!

Great work Phil and well done for giving this a go!

Keep up the good work! 🙂

No hyphen between eighty eight?

Yes, there should be a hyphen in “eighty-eight.”

I just had a look through the post and couldn’t find one without a hyphen.

Did I miss something? 🙂

I watched an old episode of QI last night. It’s the sort of thing I do when I’m waiting for another programme to start. It included the vital piece of information that, if you wrote all the numbers down in alphabetical order, the first odd number would be eight billion and eighty-five.

No way! Is that true?

That feels so unintuitive!

Thanks for such a great piece of info, Si.

When using long scale numbers, eight billiard eighty-five would come first. I think the long scale is more common in Europe than elsewhere; we don’t see it very often here in the US.

10^15—or 1,000,000,000,000,000—is called a billiard on the long scale or a quadrillion on the the short scale.

You can find more information here: http://ix23.com/mathematics/named-numbers/ (Also, I added your short scale trivia to the page.)

More awesome trivia!

Thanks again, Chuck.

Also, your page is great. I wish I’d come across it while researching this post.

And thanks for the back link, though, to be fair, I think Simon got the information from QI, a BBC panel show. Just so you know! 🙂

What about a number 160? should it be one hundred AND sixty or and is redundant?

Actually this is something that’s changing over time. British English still uses “one hundred AND sixty,” but a lot of Americans don’t use the “and.”

I think it’s going to be redundant in the future, which means you can choose which one to use!

That’s a really good question, Emma.

I’ve seen “the 60s” used for the 1860s. I think as long as the context is clear, then you can use them for any century.

Thank you very much!

Is it 60s or 60’s? Are they both correct or does the latter reflect the very American habit to use an apostrophe + s where not needed? (e.g. it’s instead of its)

It’s basically incorrect with a hyphen. I mean – can a decade possess something? 🙂

Thank you very much, Clark. So many doubt checked and answered. Great post.

Excellent! That was completely my aim and I’m glad you benefited from it! 🙂

Hello, Gabriel! Thank you for a wonderful blog! But I haven’t found the information about “nought”, and I also have doubts about reading numbers like 0.035 – shall we say “nought point oh three five “?

Good question and thanks for pointing out that this is missing in the post.

With these decimal numbers, I usually go for “zero” as it helps keep things clear. So, 0.035 would be “zero point zero three five.” However, it would also be fine to use “nought” and “oh” as you did.

Hope that helps!

Thank you very much!

Thank you very much.
It is useful for both, teachers and students.

I’m glad it’s helping you out!

Thanks for the positive feedback and thanks for reading! 🙂

Wow, very comprehensive collection here. Do you think there’s any space left to add something about how Americans talk about time?

That’s a neat idea. Like “quarter for seven” and “ten after two…”

That sort of thing?

… “thirty metres squared” or “thirty square metres” …

In the U.S., when we say “thirty meters squared”, we mean a 30 m × 30 m area or 900 square meters. If we say “thirty square meters”, we mean, for example, a 1 m × 30 m area.

When using exponential notation, m^2 means “square meter” or a space 100 cm × 100 cm, so 30 m^2 means, for example, a 1 m × 30 m area. “Squared” (with a “d” on the end) means multiply the number by itself, where “square” (without the “d”) means a geometrical shape.

Also, we rarely use “and” to separate hundreds digits from tens and ones digits. 102 is one hundred two. I think one hundred and two is more common in the UK.

Wow! This is completely new information for me. Thanks for sharing.

And yes — I was kind of aware that some Americans tend to drop the “and” after “a hundred.” It’s similar to the dates thing — “July the 4th” vs. “July 4th.”

Since language often tends towards simplification over time, I suspect the Americans might be ahead of the game here! 🙂

I caught myself today saying “a hundred and twelve” in an informal conversation. It was 112°F (44.4°C) today. I never realized I talked like that. Since reading this page in the last couple of days, pronouncing numbers was still in my mind. I always write one hundred twelve regardless of whether it’s formal or informal writing and I usually say it that way, but apparently, not always.

I read another comment here about decades. I can’t find it right now. I have heard “the 60s” used, for example, for the decade that the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) took place. I think that as long as the century you’re talking about is clear, using a 2-digit decade is acceptable. The decades I’m uncomfortable using are the 00s (ohs or aughts or naughts?) and the 10s (tens or teens?). None of those choices sound right to me. I usually say the “nineteen hundreds” and “nineteen tens” or “two thousands” and either “two thousand tens” or “twenty tens”. The problem with “nineteen hundreds” is that it can mean either 1900-1909 or 1900-1999. “Two thousands” have the same problem.

I live in the desert in Arizona (and California) in the U.S., if you keep track of dialects.

It’s interesting how our own idiolects can shift from time to time. No one has a purely Suffolk or purely Arizonan way of speaking at all times — hence your odd “slip up!”

Don’t get me started on the whole 1900s, 2000s, 2010s issue. I do the same thing as you — I go for “nineteen hundreds,” “the two-thousands” and “the twenty-tens.” But yeah — they all still sound a bit odd and yeah — there’s still the 1900-1909 vs. 1900-1999 dilemma.

Thanks again for your interesting input!

I am an English teacher and found your very thorough and excellent site looking for examples of occasions when the unit (such as hundreds, thousands, millions) is omitted and the speaker simply says six forty (instead of six hundred and forty). My student works in the pharmaceutical industry and apparently hears this regularly. I have also heard it (perhaps in a healthcare organization I worked for), but I explained it can be confusing – and I suspect it would only be used when the unit never changes. Can you share any insight?

That’s a really good point and something we hadn’t thought of when researching the post.

I’ve even used phrases like “four forty” instead of “four hundred and forty” when the context has made it clear.

I guess it works when both the speaker and the listener know that the only numbers that will come up will be whole numbers. I guess “fourteen fifty” instead of “one thousand four hundred and fifty” would work too in such circumstances.

I hope that helps!

This blog is both informative and funny. I never knew I could learn numbers with a big smile (I hate math), but reading this page is just like listening to a humorous teacher. I laughed several times (sorry, Sandra Bullock) and didn’t remember I was reluctant to study numbers in English. Thank you very much, Mr. Clark.

I’m happy it made you laugh 🙂

Hello,
Thanks for all the useful information on this site. As I am not native English speaker, I have always had doubts about these things. Although I might have not understood the one about the dates, that you cleared between 2001 – 2009 and you said what about 2010? so wrote down 2011, but I am still not sure about 2010. Is it twenty-ten or two thousand and ten?
Plus I still have issues with writing number with letters, like when you have to put “-” between them and when you write them as separate words… but that is a lesson for another day 🙂

Also I am soooooooo glad about finding out that numbers between 1 and 2 are already plurals. I did ask some English teachers back in the day but they weren’t sure either. So thought if say it quickly, people will not realize that I said it incorrectly (well, people who know how it is correct 😀 ). So thanks for the info.

And a comment on the “confuses Germans” – the “half six”… etc. time. I think it confuses lots of people. Since I moved back from the UK to my own country I had so many issues because of this 😀
Half six is 06:30 (or 18:30) in English but half six means 05:30 (although not 17:30, as we say all of the time in 24-hour time). in my language. So I hate it when people say “half anything” for time in my country because I literally cannot remember it. I already had to ask my family and friends to use the full numbers and do not use “half” when talking about time because I really can’t remember it even a second after somebody told me.

So all in all, really good tutorial.

5. When we say 1 ½, the following noun becomes plural
Did you notice that in the example above, we said “one and half hours,” not “one and a half hour”

There seems to be a typo here, I guess. “One and half hours” should be “one and a half hours”, right?

Thanks a lot — we’ll get onto that as soon as possible.

Saying large numbers in English

We use different words to describe numbers depending on how many digits (numbers) they contain. We can also refer to the number of digits for simple generalisations. For example, 10,000 is five digits, so we refer to it as in the tens of thousands, but we may also call it a five figure number.

Here are some of the ways we can describe numbers. Individual numbers will be called by their name, for instance 4 is four, 13,425 is thirteen thousand four hundred and 25. But they can also be grouped or generalised in a variety of ways. For instance 4 is also a single figure (or digit) number, and 13,425 is in the tens of thousands.

In this article, you’ll learn all the major number-naming conventions.

This table shows how we can describe some groups of numbers as they increase in size:

In the past, there was a distinction between the American billion (1,000,000,000) and the British or European billion (1,000,000,000,000 – now the trillion), but in modern use the vast majority of the English speaking world has adopted the American version.

Saying a large number

We say large numbers by listing the numbers in order of size, biggest first. When reading a single number, all the number labels should be singular, for example 10,400 is ten thousand four hundred and not ten thousands four hundreds.

We describe three digit numbers in hundreds, then tens. Generally, in British English we usually connect large numbers with double or single digit figures with and, but in American English and is not used. Note that hundreds, thousands and millions are not connected to each other with and, though.

You can then describe large numbers with a series of different figures, grouping numbers in hundreds and tens, starting with the biggest number. So we describe hundreds/tens of millions, then thousands, then hundreds:

In the…

When we want to say where a number generally lies, in the above groups, we can say it is in the… For example, 14 is in the teens, 325 is in the hundreds. For tens and hundreds of larger numbers (thousands, millions), we say in the tens (or hundreds) of… So: hundreds of thousands and tens of millions.

Hundreds and thousands

Often it is easier to describe four figure numbers in hundreds instead of thousands. This is perfectly acceptable. For example, 1500 might be described as fifteen hundred, instead of one thousand five hundred (or one and a half thousand), because it is simpler to say.

Numbers as adjectives

All of these numbers can be referred to by the number of figures they contain, with plurals, for instance a number is in single figures (3), double figures (20) or quadruple figures (1,000). However, when we use the figure size of the number to describe a noun (such as a salary, price or to refer to a number itself) we simply use number + figure + noun. For example, a six-figure salary, a four-figure discount.

Saying Thousands in Units of Ten (For Years and More)

One exception to the patterns above that you are likely to hear is when English-speakers say a number in thousands as a pair of two-digit numbers, for example 1912 as nineteen twelve.

This is mostly used when giving the name of years, and in fact is the more common way to do this – when pronouncing a year as a number, we usually break it into two. It also applies to years in the hundreds. Here are some examples:

Note, however, for the first century of a millennium we often go back to normal number conventions:

There are some other exceptions where we break thousands down this way, usually when the number isn’t necessarily referring to a quantity, for example if it’s an assigned number to name something. For example, screen resolutions (1080px, though referring to a number of pixels, can be said as ten eighty, as it is part of a naming convention).

Alternative names for number groups

There are many informal alternative names for groups of numbers that can be used to simplify names. Beware you may not always be understood using these.

How to speak numbers in English

English numbers with transcription and Russian pronunciation: learning to memorize quickly and easily

The topic of English numbers is quite complex, since the formation of English numbers is different from the education of Russians. There are rules, but there are exceptions, while both have peculiarities. How to pronounce numbers in English and use them in speech? Let’s find out. Forward for new knowledge!

Rules for the formation of numbers in English

In general, numbers in English can be divided into:

Features of the formation of numbers from 1 to 12

Numbers in English from 1 to 12 are simple quantitative numbers, that is, they indicate the number of objects and consist of one word. The spelling of English numbers must be remembered. All other English numbers are formed on the basis of their top ten.

The table below shows the numbers from 1 to 12 with transcription, Russian pronunciation and examples:

How to form derivative numbers?

The stress of these numbers will fall off the suffix.

And do not confuse cardinal numbers with ordinal numbers!

On a note! Remember that there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, the numerals 13 and 15 will be the exceptions. Their root three and five will have a modified form:

The stress of these numbers will fall on the root.

Some exceptions:

The numbers 30, 50, 80 change radically in the same way as in the second ten.

Numbers from 100 onwards

You ask: «How are large numbers or numbers read and written in English?» Very simple, it only takes 4 new words:

The names of numbers over a hundred are formed by adding more simple «representatives» of the series:

Remarks:

For simplicity’s sake, native speakers convert thousands into hundreds. For example, the number 1500 is easier to say as “fifteen hundred” (which literally translates as “fifteen hundred”).

Ordinal numbers

With the help of such numbers, we determine the order of objects, counting them. We use them most often when we talk about dates (September XNUMXst, August XNUMXth, July XNUMXrd, etc.), floors, etc.

Years and dates in English are not spoken in whole numbers like we Russians, but in two parts. For example, we will say 1954 as 19-54, 1776 as 17-76, and so on.

How are numbers and numbers written in English

Here are some facts-recommendations regarding the spelling of numbers:

On that note, I conclude my lesson on numbers! Start small and gradually develop your abilities. If you wish, you will succeed! I wish you every success on your way to mastering English!

English numbers and numbers

Numbers in English with transcription in the table from 1 to 10:

If you do not know English transcription and you need Russian transcription, listen to how numbers and numbers are read in English:
/audio/english-vocabulary-numbers.mp3 Download mp3

The number 0 is written like this: nought [nɔːt], zero [‘zɪərəu]

Numbers 11 to Million

More numbers in English from 11 to 20 and from 21 to 100:

Cardinal and ordinal numbers

There are two types of numerals:

Everything is clear with the first group. Quantitative (cardinal) numerals are our one, two, three one hundred (one, two, three hundred).

But ordinal (ordinal) numerals are a bit tricky. Pointing to the order of the position or course of action (first, second, third hundredth), they are formed according to a certain rule, which was not without exceptions. Let’s consider the rule.

Pay attention! Ordinal numbers are used with the article “The“.

And what about the exceptions? They are words «First, second, third, fifth»that need to be learned by heart:

Ordinal numbers will be useful to us in order to name the date of your birth. (birthday).

Mu birthday is on the second (tenth, seventeenth) of May (January, June).

Use “on» to indicate the day and «Of» before the month name. By the way, historically, the names of calendar months are written with a capital letter. Remember this!

Ordinal numbers in English

Counting up to 20 in English with pronunciation and transcription

Knowing how to count in English is as important as speaking. In any tourist country, all sellers, taxi drivers, service personnel in a hotel have an account of up to 20. Are you worse than that? In general, you understand what’s what. To learn how to count to a million in English, you only need to learn 31 words. But everything is in order. In this article, we will learn how to count to 20.

In Russian, to learn numbers, you need to know over 100 words. In the English account, the same rules apply, but it is worth mentioning a couple of important points that will greatly facilitate the process of studying numbers and numbers for you:

Well, now let’s move on from theory directly to practice: The numbers from one to ten are the basis of the basics!

Counting up to 20 in English with transcription

There are also minor changes here. They are not noticeable in pronunciation, but in writing it is worth paying attention to the changes in the root:

In fact, the ending «teen» is a full-fledged word meaning age from 13 to 19 years.

It should be borne in mind that Russian pronunciation (transcription) is only an approximate sound, the specifics of the sound of English numbers cannot be 100% conveyed.

How to teach a child to count in English?

Once you start teaching your children English, it also needs to be taught and counted. Be sure to do this through play to instill in him a love and desire to learn the language. Here are some ways to teach your child to count in English:

As you can see, there are many options, the main thing is the desire to learn yourself and teach your child. Good luck!

Learn to count to 1 to 20

Numbers in English | English grammar | EF

Cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) are adjectives denoting quantity. Ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) indicate the order by count.

Quantitative Ordinal Number

Reading decimal places

When we read decimal places aloud in English, we pronounce the decimal point as “point,” then pronounce the next digit separately. Money is not counted in this way.

Writing Pronunciation

Reading beats

In English, fractions are read using a cardinal number to indicate the numerator and an ordinal number to indicate the denominator. Moreover, if the numerator is greater than 1, then we put the ordinal (denominator) in the plural. This applies to all numbers except 2, which is pronounced «half» when it is the denominator, and «halves» when there are more than one.

Writing Pronunciation

Percentage pronunciation

Reading percentages out loud in English is pretty easy. Just say the number and add the word «percent».

Writing Pronunciation

Reading sums of money

To read monetary amounts, first read the whole number, then add the name of the currency. If it is a decimal point, read it as an integer, and if coins have their own name in a particular currency, add it at the end. Note that normal decimal places are not read this way. These rules apply only to reading currencies.

Writing Pronunciation

Measurement pronunciation

Just say the number followed by the measure, often written as an abbreviation.

Writing Pronunciation

Pronunciation of times

Reading tenses in English is relatively difficult. Usually, when the year has four digits, the first two are read as one number, and then the other two as another integer. There are several exceptions to this rule.

Years up to the first 100 years of the millennium can be read as whole numbers, even if they have four digits, or they can be read as two-digit numbers. Millenniums are always read as whole numbers, as it would be too difficult to read them otherwise. New ages are read as integers in the hundreds.

We do not use the word «thousand», at least not when we read dates for the last 1000 years.

Years with only 3 digits can be pronounced as a three-digit number, or as a single-digit number followed by two-digit years. Years in which there are only two digits are read as one number. Before you say the number of the year, you can add “the year” at the beginning to make it easier to understand, and you can also use two-digit and three-digit years in the same way. Years before 0 are always written with the acronym BC (BC), and it is pronounced like two letters of the alphabet.

Curiously, using the same rules we read street names and addresses.

Writing Pronunciation

How to pronounce 0

There are several ways to pronounce the number 0, depending on the context. Unfortunately, the use of these options differs in different English-speaking countries. These pronunciation rules apply to American English.

Pronunciation Use

Cardinal numbers in English

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There are numbers and numbers in any language, so this topic is not considered difficult to understand. The numerals of each language have their own characteristics, which may not be in the native language. Therefore, while studying this part of speech, it is necessary to remember the names of numbers and numbers, as well as the cases of their correct use.

Numbers in English

In English, there are 10 figures: from 0 to 9. Various combinations of these “numbers” form “numbers”. These ten numbers in English with transcription are as follows:

Now let’s see what numbers we can form using numbers.

Cardinal numbers from 1 to 100

These are the numbers you can find in English.

See how native speaker Ronnie pronounces these numbers in English. Try to repeat after her to get used to the correct pronunciation and stress in these words.

Cardinal numbers in English are:

Cardinal numbers from 100 to

And this is how cardinal numbers over a hundred are formed.

Let’s try to do the impossible and write down such a number in words 1 623 457?

1,623,457 = One million, six hundred and twenty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty-seven.

Features of the use of cardinal numbers in English

Let’s talk about some of the features of the use of cardinal numbers.

millions of people

English numbers with transcription and Russian pronunciation

The topic of English numbers is quite complex, since the formation of English numbers is different from the education of Russians. There are rules, but there are exceptions, while both have peculiarities. Consider the English numbers with transcription and Russian pronunciation, give vivid examples and focus on the exception. Forward for new knowledge!

Features of the formation of numbers from 1 to 12

The table below shows the numbers from 1 to 12 with transcription, Russian pronunciation and examples:

Features of the formation of numbers from 13 to 20

The table shows that numbers from 13 to 19 (inclusive) are written according to the same rules, a particle is added to the cardinal number (one, two, three) –Teen. And do not confuse cardinal numbers with ordinal numbers! Ordinal numbers in English are formed in a completely different way!

On a note! Remember that there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, the numerals 13 and 15 will be the exceptions. Their root three and five will have a modified form:

Some examples:

Dozens of English numbers

Important! Remember that when the digits 20,30, 40, 50 and XNUMX are formed, the root of the quantitative digits that serve as the basis for the formation of tens will change:

And one more nuance: the number 80 [ˈeɪti] is characterized by the absence of a repetition of the letter t: eight (eight) = eighty (eight + ty = eightty).

examples:

Basics: how numbers are formed in English

How are the numbers that are formed by adding the particle –teen pronounced? Here you need to be very careful => the pronunciation of numerals (English numbers) will have two stresses: on the first and second syllables. In this case, we immediately note that the stress will not be equal in strength. One of them will be secondary and the other will be primary.

Pay attention! In some dictionaries, the stress of numerals is determined by the presence (absence) of a noun after it. For example, if a numeral is next to a noun, then the stress falls on the first syllable =>

examples:

One hundred, a thousand, a million: is there a difference?

First of all, it should be noted that before the numerals hundred (one hundred), thousand (one thousand) and million (million) there will always be either the word one or the indefinite article a (in the meaning of « one »).

But! The rest of the cardinal numbers are characterized by the absence of an article! =>

If we are talking about thousands, then the same rule applies here:

Millions are generated by the same principle:

Examples

Dates, phone numbers and prices in English

Even if you speak English well, you may feel insecure when dealing with numbers.

Today we will look at how to correctly name phone numbers and account numbers, how to talk about dates and prices in English, so as not to make mistakes.

Phone numbers

Probably most often we have to deal with a situation when we need to dictate a number. Phone numbers in English are read completely differently than in Russian. In Russian, we can pronounce the area code or operator code by numbers, but in the number itself we very rarely say each number, and we combine the numbers into tens and hundreds:

In English, all the digits of the number are pronounced separately, and zero is most often read as oh / oʊ /. The same numbers standing next to each other are united by the word double:

All digits of the number are pronounced in groups of three. The intonation rises after each group of numbers (as in the listing), and at the end, a descending tone is used:

If in a combination of three digits there are two zeros at the end, then we can say this:

When reading numbers of bank and credit cards and similar number series, the numbers are read in groups of four with ascending intonation, each number being named separately (as in telephone numbers):

Prices

In prices, the currency icon stands up to the price itself, and is pronounced at the end in the singular or plural (if the amount is round):

If the amount is represented by a decimal fraction, then you can indicate the currency after the whole number. Reading follows the same rules as reading decimal fractions, but the word point is not pronounced. If the whole is plural, then the currency noun is also plural:

Dates

When reading dates, ordinal numbers are used with the definite article the, the month is preceded by the preposition of:

In American English (AmE), the month is read and written first, not the number, and the definite article the is not used:

If a specific year is called, then the four-digit number is divided into two groups up to two, and each is pronounced separately, zero is oh (not zero):

The numbers in the years from 2000 to 2009 are not divided into groups of two, they are read like ordinary numbers:

Years after 2009 have two reading options:

When they talk about decades, the cardinal number is used in the plural with the article the:

«One, two, three, four, five» or numbers in English

How to name numbers in English

Let’s list the main numbers in English:

The following numbers do not lend themselves to the general rules of education:

How to pronounce them correctly in English?

You can correctly pronounce the numbers, and all other words of the English language, only if you know the transcription. Transcription is a special recording of a word the way it is pronounced (for example, the Russian word «draw» can be transcribed as [risavatsa]). And learning English numbers with transcription is much easier than without it.

This is how English numbers are read:

But what if you don’t know how the transcription is read? For those who are just going to learn English from scratch, numbers with Russian transcription are very useful:

All possible numbers, the largest imaginable, are just combinations of nine numbers, from zero to nine. The numbers are formed according to special rules.

Rules for the formation of numbers in English

In general, numbers in English can be divided into: • simple; • derivatives;

English numbers. Invoice in English. English numerals

To begin with, we give a table of English numbers from zero to twenty. Why exactly up to twenty? Is this some kind of special method of learning English numbers? No, just learn first to at least twenty. ))

Note. The numeral «zero» is pronounced «oh» [ou] in cases where all numbers, including «zero», must be pronounced separately. For example, when they call a room number in a hotel: Her room number is two-oh-three (203). When pronouncing decimal fractions, the numeral zero is read as nought [nɔ: t], the dividing point (the Russian version is a comma) is point, eg 0.8 = nought point eight.

2. Counting from twenty to twenty nine

The only thing you should pay attention to is that the numbers, consisting of two digits, the first of which denotes tens, are written in English with a hyphen.

In the table below, as an example, numerals are given from 21 to 29, according to the same principle, any quantitative names numerals from 21 to 99.

3. Counting from thirty to ninety

Now we give a table of numerals denoting «tens»:

Let me remind you that now you can already independently form numbers from 21 to 99. First we write tens, then ones, put a hyphen between them. What is seventy nine in English? That’s right, seventy-nine.

Account from one hundred to one hundred thousand

Before tens (in British English), add the union and (even when tens are indicated by zero: 108 = a hundred and eight). Also, do not forget to put a hyphen between tens and ones.

Congratulations. Following the rules described above, you can now easily form any number from 0 to 100000.

Pronunciation of all English sounds

How to write numbers correctly in words in English (online translator of numbers to words)

Song about numbers for children in English (video)

Sound online game for memorizing English numbers

Numbers and numbers in English, or these numbers are not with us! ⋆ Blog Speakingo

English numbers and numbers are the basis! Let’s discuss them in a fun, leisurely way and take turns, so that they will be remembered by us once and for all!

Can you count? Count on yourself! Especially when it comes to numbers in English, where misunderstanding can cost us dear!

Numbers in English from 1 to 10

And below is the psychedelic repetition of numbers 1 through 13 from Sesame Street.

Cardinal and ordinal numbers in English

You might think that it makes no sense to study numerals in English. Indeed, it is easier to write the necessary numbers on a piece of paper and just show them to an English-speaking friend (and to any other friend who passed the numbers at school).

But what to do if a situation arises when there is no piece of paper at hand or there is no way at all to draw something on the sand / napkin / other surfaces. For example, when you speak to a business partner on the phone or call the automated call center at London Airport.

And in general, knowledge of numbers in English will not be superfluous.

You didn’t think, when you learned the English alphabet, about its need, but you took it for granted. Moreover, this process is simple and interesting.

Numbers in English (quantitative numerators)

• What is easiest to memorize? Rhymed poetry. The British seem to have specially invented numbers that are easy to rhyme. Meaning quantitative numerals. That is, those with which you can count objects. We take numbers from 1 to 12 and memorize simple rhymes:

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.

We repeat this mantra 10 times and consider that the first stage has been passed.

• The second step is to learn the cardinal numbers from 13 to 19. If we were talking about a person’s age, then many would call people from 13 to 19 years old teenagers. And it is no coincidence. It’s just that at the end of each of these numbers there is the same ending. —teen. And here is the confirmation:

thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen

• Let’s go further? We take dozens. They are very similar to the numbers 13 through 19, but they have an important difference. Instead of a teenage ending, we add –Ty.

• Do you think it will be more difficult further? Don’t even hope. How do we speak Russian 21? The same in English:

Fine, fine. Have noticed. Yes, a hyphen is placed between ten and one. But otherwise, everything is the same. Take a look:

Thirty-four, fifty-seven, eighty-two.

• Let’s not waste time on trifles. And let’s move on to more impressive numbers.

If this is not enough for us, then we can make 200 (two hundred) or 3000 (three thousand), or even immediately 5000000 (five million).

It is surprising that the British did not complicate anything here. Note that a hundred, a thousand, a million are not plural. Everything is in one.

• Still, let’s try something more complicated. Let’s look at composite numbers. For example, 387. We place bets, gentlemen, who will pronounce this number how? And now the correct answer is:

three hundred AND eighty-seven.

The only difference from the Russian is the appearance of the union “and” between hundreds and tens.

What about 5234? We place our bets again. Correct answer:

Five thousand two hundred and thirty-four.

Ordinal numerators

• Cardinal numbers did a good job as a warm-up. It’s time to move on to ordinal in English. That is, to those numerals that denote the order of objects: first, second, third twenty-fourth, the calculation is over!

And here one little surprise awaits us. All ordinal numbers are obtained in the same way: the article is simply added to them the front and —th at the end of a word. And all the cases.

the fourth
the fifth
the sixth
the seventh
the eighth
the ninth
tenth
the forty-seventh

But English wouldn’t be so interesting if it weren’t for the exceptions to the rule. And, of course, these exceptions are the most commonly used numerals.

the first
second
the third

Who has not guessed yet, this is the very first, second and third.

• For dessert. A little more theory for the most curious. This is no longer as necessary as knowledge of cardinal and ordinal numbers, but it will help you show yourself to be very educated in the environment of English-speaking interlocutors.

Phone number. How do you say in Russian 155-28-43? Yeah: one hundred fifty five, twenty eight, forty three. And in English you will call each number in turn. And a little nuance: when there are 2 identical digits in a row, you need to say double and name the number. In this example: one double five two eight four three.

Year. For example, 1843. In Russian: one thousand eight hundred and forty-third. That is, as a number, and even ordinal. And the British are not bastard. Their years are pronounced in dozens at once: eighteen forty-three. That is, also numbers, but quantitative, without any –Th.

Rooms.

Numbers in English: rules of education, reading, memorization

Редакция Updated Nov 6, 2018

We are faced with numbers every day. House number, phone number, number of people who viewed your Stories, but not all of us know how to pronounce these cryptic numbers. It’s time to find out and finally learn them.

How to pronounce numbers in English correctly?

To pronounce the number correctly, you need to know the transcription.

How to form compound numbers?

Formula of education: number of hundreds + and + number of tens and units.

Note that two-digit numbers are hyphenated (eighty-two, fourty-six).

Numbers up to twenty, tens up to 100, 1000, 1000000

We have already covered the numbers from 1 to 12. It’s time to study tens, hundreds, thousands and millions.

It is important to remember that three in 13 and five in 15 will change slightly in spelling and pronunciation.

100 in English is hundred. It is always preceded by an indefinite article a, but if it is a composite number (115, 178), then we put one.

Numbers and numbers in English, learning to memorize quickly and easily, pronunciation, transcription

To be able to count correctly and competently in English is no less important than learning to speak it. Practically in any country of the world (especially in tourist zones) sellers, waiters, service personnel and so on, one way or another, know how the numbers in English will be. Are you in any way worse than them? To be able to freely count up to a million, it is enough to know only thirty-one words.

And in order to know the English numbers from 1 to 100, for example, there should be no problems at all. Indeed, for comparison, in order to at least know the numbers in Russian, you need to learn more than a hundred words. In fact, the rules for joining unambiguous into two-digit and three-digit are the same. Only English is even easier in this regard.

Because numbers in English obey some rules that seriously simplify the whole process:

Many people try to memorize English numbers from 1 to 10 at the beginning. But in this case it will be better to study up to thirteen at once. The fact is that 11, 12 are exceptions and you need to know them.

It is best to learn English numbers with transcription and Russian pronunciation. Only there it will be possible to learn to speak as correctly as possible.

Counting up to 10 in English:

It is easier further. The numbers from 1 to 20 are simply repeated. But in the second ten, teen is added to the single digits. For example, eitin is 18. And so you can take any number from 13 to 20. Sixteen, Seventeen.

Then it remains to remember how dozens and their translation into this language will be.

Then there are hundreds. The principle is the same. They just take the first ones and add a hundred to them. For example, one hundred, two hundred, and so on.

The principle is the same with thousands. (thousand). We add the second part to the number in the form of thousand (fausend). For example 32, in English it would be thirty-two thousand (Fyoti tu fauzend).
It turns out that in order to count to one hundred thousand, you need to learn the first 13 digits, as well as how there will be tens, hundreds and thousands. On average, this will take no more than half an hour.

Numbers in English

As in our Russian language, there are two varieties of numerals, namely ordinal and quantitative. Ordinal ones are just One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and so on.

Quantitative ones are those that answer the question «what». To form numerals, «th» is added to the usual ones at the end of the word. The only exceptions are the first, second and third.

Ordinals

Ordinal must correspond to the question «which one?» It’s worth mentioning the exceptions right away. In English, the simplest numbers such as the first, second, third, and fifth are an exception. The following table shows how they are written.

There is a single rule on the basis of which absolutely all numerals in English are formed. All of them are formed by the article «The». Here the ending «th» must be added to all the numerals.

There are two rules of numerals that you must remember when using them.

Composite numerals such as twenty-one ( translated means 21) the «twenty» part remains unchanged, and «one» becomes the ordinal «first». In these cases, it is not required to display the article.

In some numbers, such as twenty and thirty, the letter y goes into i. To it is additionally added e. Only then add the above th.

If you learn and follow these two simple rules. Then you will know how numbers are written in English. With the right approach, it will be easy for kids to learn too.

When it is required to say about the exercise number, house address, page in a book or bus, we have the right to use not only ordinal numbers, but also quantitative ones.

When using ordinal numbers, the number must come before the noun. The article is added to the noun «The».

Fractional numbers, in contrast to our usual Russian, are often denoted with a dot. For example, 17.99. English speakers use a comma to indicate large fractional digits. From right to left, they separate three digits. For example, 74, 024, 199.

There are some rules for pronunciation and notation. When a number is designated as 4.254, it is pronounced four point two five four. And if we have the number 0.63, then in the American version it sounds like zero point sixty three. The British pronunciation is slightly different, so they say sixty threehundredths. In international circulation, the second variation is used more. Here is a table of the simplest fractions.

Decimal digits and fractions

As mentioned above, you need to remember that in decimal fractions there is always a point, not a comma. To learn fractions, you need to attach the fractional part to the whole. The words point or decimal serve as a concatenation method. You can see an example below.

If the integer part is zero, then it can be omitted. By remembering these simple rules, you can very easily learn to count in this melodic language.

Watch a tutorial video on the topic:

If you still have questions about the article, please ask them in the comments below.

Some features of the use of numerals in English

Most fractions in English use both cardinal and ordinal numbers. Cardinal numbers are used in the numerator of the fraction, and ordinal numbers are used in the denominator.

If the numerator is greater than one, then the denominator is plural:

Integers and fractional numbers in a numeral are connected by a union and:

To express complex fractions, the word is often used over:

Decimals are read as follows:

If a fraction is followed by a noun, it is placed in the singular form, and the preposition is used in front of it of:

If a noun follows a numeral consisting of a whole and a fractional part, then it is put in the plural form:

Using numerals in arithmetic

Arithmetic signs are read as follows:

Using numerals to indicate a telephone number in English

Each digit in the phone number is pronounced separately: